Christopher BarrettThe Government is encouraging businesses, including live entertainment venues and operators, to apply to their local councils for remaining grant funding to help them through the pandemic.
Business minister Paul Scully said £850 million worth of Covid-19 support grants are still available, and he encouraged firms in England to apply.
The funding has been made available by Government to councils in England for them to provide to businesses in need in their local area. Businesses are encouraged to apply to their local council for the funding.
The funding is made up of £556m available through the £635m Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant (OHLG) scheme, which launched in January, and a further £294m through the Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) scheme which has been paying out funding since November 2020.
Hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses can still apply for one-off cash grants of up to £6,000 through the OHLG scheme.
The ARG scheme provides councils with funding they can allocate at their discretion to businesses most in need.
The business secretary, Kwasi Kwarteng, has written to those local authorities who have more than 5% left over from previous ARG funding rounds, instructing them to disburse any remaining funding. Scully has also urged local councils to get the grants to business as soon as possible.
Scully said, “Eligible businesses should apply as soon as possible for the grants available to help them put the pandemic behind them and get on a sounder footing to achieve success.”
The Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grants guidance is available here.